Wiki/Biography

Piyush Goyal was born on 13 June 1964 (age 55 years; as in 2019) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. His zodiac sign is Gemini. He did his schooling from the Don Bosco High School, Mumbai. In 1984, he pursued B.Com from the H.R. College Of Commerce & Economics in Mumbai. In 1991, he completed his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the Government Law College, Mumbai. After that, he took admission in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in New Delhi and was the All India second rank holder. He has been a part of many Leadership programs at universities like Yale, Oxford, and Princeton. Goyal holds an F.C.A. Certificate; it’s a certificate given to Chartered Accountants after completing 5 years of practice.

Before joining politics, Goyal was an investment banker. He served on the board of banks such as State Bank of India (2001-2004), and Bank of Baroda (2002-2004).

Physical Appearance

Height: 5′ 10″

Weight: 70 kg (approx.)

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Black

Piyush Goyal

Family, Wife & Caste

Piyush Goyal belongs to a Vaishya (Bania) Family. His father, Ved Prakash Goyal, was an Indian politician, and a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. His mother, Chandrakanta Goyal, is a former BJP MLA from Mumbai.

Piyush Goyal’s Father Ved Prakash Goyal

He is married to Seema Goyal. They have a daughter, Radhika, and a son, Dhruv.

Piyush Goyal With His Family

Career

Piyush Goyal has been involved in politics for a long time. In 1991, the BJP appointed him as the Deputy in charge of the parliamentary elections. In 2002, he was a part of the Task Force responsible for inter-linking the rivers of India. He has played a crucial part in the BJP’s growing popularity. He served as the National Treasurer of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from March 2010 to May 2014. He was appointed as a Member of the Standing Committee on Finance in August 2010. On 5 July 2012, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

Piyush Goyal In Rajya Sabha

Piyush Goyal has been a key strategizer for the BJP. He was one of the first ones to come up with the idea of Narendra Modi as the PM. Goyal used to head the Information Technology (IT) communications sub-committee, and was in charge of all the communication and initiatives of the BJP, through social media. Piyush Goyal also used to head the Press Information Bureau.

Piyush Goyal-Head Of The Press Information Bureau

On 27 May 2016, he was appointed as the Union Minister of Power, Coal, and New & Renewable Energy. He started many important initiatives during his term. During his term as the Union Minister of Power, he was praised and credited for providing 24*7 electricity to 16,385 of the 18,452 villages; which did not have electricity at all. He stated that the remaining 944 villages will also be provided with electricity before 15 August 2022. He was appointed as the Union Railway Minister on 3 September 2017. He took charge from Suresh Prabhu; who was appointed as the Minister of Civil Aviation and the Minister of Commerce & Industry.

Piyush Goyal Taking Charge Of The Railway Ministry From Suresh Prabhu

As the Union Minister of Railways, he introduced several trains with updated technology and faster speeds. The most significant was Train 18, which reportedly runs at a speed of 160 km/hour. He helped improve the condition of railway platforms across India. He increased the capital expenditure of the Railway Ministry by Rs. 5.1 Lac Crores. During his tenure as the Railway Minister, there was a 59% increase in the commissioning of new, double, third, and fourth railway line projects.

Piyush Goyal Inaugurating A Train Run By Female Drivers

On 14 May 2018, he was given the additional charge of the Finance Ministry; as the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had to take a leave of absence due to health issues. During his term as the Finance Minister, he presented the 2019 Interim Union Budget of India on 1 February 2019.

Piyush Goyal Before Presenting The Budget

On 15 February 2019, Arun Jaitley assumed office, and Goyal was relieved from his duties as the Finance Minister. Piyush Goyal welcomed Arun Jaitley with a cake, as his health had improved significantly.

Piyush Goyal Welcomes Back Arun Jaitley

On 30 May 2019, Piyush Goyal was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi Government by the President Ram Nath Kovind. On 31 May 2019, he was given the charge of the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Commerce.

Piyush Goyal After Taking Oath As Cabinet Minister

Awards

He was awarded the 2018 Carnot Prize for distinguished contributions to energy policy for his work in village electrification by the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.

Piyush Goyal Receiving The Carnot Award

Controversy

On 4 April 2018, Shirdi Industries, whose chairman was Piyush Goyal until July 2010, and then headed by his wife, Seema Goyal, had unpaid loans of 650 Crores INR. In 2015, the company was declared as an NPA, and its loans were written off. Many leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raised questions over it and demanded an enquiry on why Goyal’s company was written off as a non-performing asset.